What everr happened to the good ol' days

[Robert Swartz]

Originally Posted by Ed Wright

The first division points race I ran was at Odessa, TX (don't remember them holding another one there) was in 1968. I got my towing hubs made just before that trip. I tell kids now about flat towing to Pomona in '68 & '69 and they think I'm pulling their leg. A long tow bar and lots of positive caster in the race car front end and you couldn't tell it was back there. You could back one up like a trailer.

One friend of mine, Bennie (the Wizard) Osborn had the first enclosed trailer around here. He built it himself. That guy could build anything. Built his own Top Fuel cars, engines, trailers, etc. Not many Top Fuel World Champs build everything themselves anymore. Bennie won the finals when they held them here in Tulsa, that was 1966 or 1967? They still smoked the tires the full 1/4 mile then.

Well now, if you were rich enough for tow hubs! Man, you were big time. I managed to get a Lakewood tow bar. After I bolted it together, took it to work and had it welded. I couldn't afford hubs, so I just pulled the driveshaft and inserted a spare input shaft. Had to make sure you wired it up. Really sucks if it fell out and all the gear oil leaked out of your transmission, LOL. How many remember towing home a broke car or worse, pulling a driveshaft in the mud and rain.